Hornet's Nest
by Watership's Nightwish Rat
Summary: Warren McGinnis takes Terry and Matt with him and his newly-discovered daughter Coba Brooklyn on a camping trip, hoping to give them a good, lasting memory before school starts up and the boys are separated. Tensions are high as the man and three kids try to get along, and things get out of control when they come across a missing person...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

 **I figured it was time someone wrote a fic about the trip Matt and Terry mentioned in the episode "Revenant." Since I had my OC Coba Brooklyn remember the trip as well in my one-shot "Remember," I decided to write a version of the trip with Coba in it. This isn't going to be a big story like my other Batman Beyond fics, but it'll still have chapters without a prologue or an epilogue.**

 **Don't worry, I'm still working on "The Enemy Inside," but I've hit a writer's block. And I've been more focused on drawing stuff lately. ^^;**

 **I do not own Batman Beyond or its characters: I never have and probably never will. I only own my OCs that appear.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Warren McGinnis sighed, rubbing his brow. _Why did I think this was a good idea?_

Ever since his oldest son Terry was released from juvenile hall, Warren had been trying to take him, Terry's little brother Matt, and Warren's daughter Coba Brooklyn on a camping trip before school started that fall. Convincing Terry and Matt's mother, Mary McGinnis—Warren's ex-wife—to let the boys come with him and Coba had been a challenge, but the woman relented when Warren pointed out that he was the only father Matt and Terry knew.

"Alright, then," she had said with a sigh. Her green gaze narrowed into a glare. "But don't come crying to me if it doesn't work out."

"You know I won't do that. I'll just gloat that it went well."

Now the red-haired, middle-aged man was unloading the car, which was parked in a campsite in a national forest. Terry reluctantly helped with the heavy-lifting while bickering with Matt, whose attention-span was too short to focus on helping instead of chatting or seeing a squirrel and chasing it. Coba struggled to keep herself busy aiding in unpacking, though it was obvious that the noises coming from the boys were overwhelming her.

"That's enough," Warren said sharply, causing Terry and Matt to look at him and Coba to flinch. "Matt, help Coba with the food bags."

"I-I can get them, Dad," Coba promised, nervous that she had failed to meet his expectations because of her sensitivity. "There are only a few left to—"

"Don't argue with me, Coba," McGinnis reprimanded her. He immediately regretted his harsh tone with her as he saw her eyes start to well up with tears.

Terry rolled his eyes when Coba hid her face and shook with suppressed sobs. "Seriously? Another emotional meltdown? That's the third one today!"

Warren glared at the fourteen-year-old. "Go pitch the tent. Matt, give him a hand—without hitting him!"

"Aww, man!" Matt moaned.

"Whatever." Terry carried the tent kit to the spot of grass and flopped it down, then unzipped it to get the parts out. Matt followed suit, awkwardly helping his older brother spread out the tent.

Coba struggled to pull herself together. "S-sorry, Dad," she said meekly.

The man pat her shoulder. "I know you want to prove you can help out, Coba," he said gently, brushing a tear from her cheek, "but I was really trying to find a way to get Matt to help instead of distract Terry when I said that."

His daughter blinked, casting a glance in the boys' direction. "That didn't work out so well," she said grimly.

Before Warren could ask, a solid _thump_ was heard. "Ow!" Terry yelled, yanking the hammer out of Matt's hands while hopping on one foot. "What was that for?"

"It doesn't matter!" came the boy's cheery reply. "It's in the past!"

The girl struggled to hide a smile at the Lion King reference. Though Warren was glad Coba cheered up a touch, he had to reprimand Matt. "Matt! Go sit at the table for five minutes. And be quiet!"

"Aww, man!" Matt moaned for the second time.

"Make that ten." Noticing the boy was about to open his mouth again, Warren quickly added, "One more noise and I'll make it fifteen!"

Frowning, Matt went over to the campsite's wooden picnic table and sat down, cupping his hands around his chin and putting his elbows on his knees. Sighing, Warren looked at Terry. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'll live," Terry replied somewhat irritably. "Assuming you even care," he muttered to himself, his voice too low for Warren to hear.

Warren turned his gaze to Coba, who had managed to calm down. "Why don't you go help Terry? It's more of a two-person job, anyway."

Coba gave him a quizzical look that was mixed with fear. "But he doesn't like me," she whispered. "None of them do."

"They just don't know you yet, that's all," Warren tried to reassure her, though he knew that it was not the entire truth. Mary did not like Coba because she was Warren's daughter from an affair he had with the late Natalie Brooklyn, and would express it in front of their sons. _Though Matt isn't really my son,_ he thought. _He's also the result of an affair, but of one Mary had with someone she met at work. Despite that, I can't help but love Matt like he's my own anyway._ "This might help you break the ice with Terry."

"That's a lot of ice to break through," she murmured.

"Can you please give it a shot, anyway?" Warren asked calmly. _I know this is all hard for you,_ he wanted to say, _especially since your mother died not long ago, but you mustn't let it stop you._ "You know you'll have to live with him and go to school with him in a few weeks."

Brooklyn hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, Dad. I'll try."

"Good."

Terry grunted irritably as Coba came over. He looked at her quizzically when she just stood to one side, looking at the tent. "Aren't you going to help?"

"Yes," came her reply. "I'm just taking note of which parts go where, first." After another brief moment, she bent down and inserted the thin poles into the long, thin fabric pockets on the outer sides of the tent. She then helped Terry put the open ends of the poles into their respective pins located at the corners of the tent, resulting in the fabric standing up to reveal a large dome. To keep the tent from being blown away by the wind, they hammered the pegs into the ground through each corner ring.

"Ow!" Terry exclaimed when Coba accidentally hit his thumb with the hammer while he held the peg in place, pulling his hand away as this happened.

"Sorry!"

"Why don't you hold the pegs instead?" he said slyly.

"You just want to hit my thumbs!"

"How did you guess?"

Instead of answering the question, Coba shrugged. "I suppose I can. My pain-tolerance levels are pretty high, anyway. Though it takes out some of the fun for you, doesn't it?"

Terry nodded with a frown, but took the hammer from her and let her hold the stake. Despite what he had implied, Terry did not purposefully hit Coba's thumb. Sometimes he would miss the peg, but Coba kept her hand firmly placed on the peg, with only her face slightly cringing in pain with each hit that landed on her finger. "Too bad you can't keep your feelings under control like you can your pain," he commented when they finished.

Coba sighed and nodded in agreement. "I wish I knew how to."

The teen-aged boy looked at her sympathetically. "I wish I did, as well," he said quietly.

His half-sister looked at him in surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah." For a brief moment, he felt a sense of kinship brewing towards his half-sister, but he shoved it away and glared. _Why should I be nice to her?_ he thought angrily. _She made my parents split!_ "What? You think I like being angry all the time?"

"The thought did cross my mind," Brooklyn admitted, looking away. "But your tone suggests that you don't like it. Huh? Who's that?"

Terry turned to look at what concerned Coba. A dark green SUV with the forest's name—which Terry had forgotten—had pulled up behind Warren's car. A tall, brown-haired woman with hazel eyes got out of the driver's seat. Her medium-length hair was tied back in a ponytail. "Must be a forest ranger," he heard Coba murmur.

"What makes you say that?" Terry asked.

"Her uniform and hat are the required apparel for this district. I looked it up before we left the house. Plus it says on the side of the rig."

McGinnis face-palmed. _How did I miss that?_

"Are you Warren McGinnis?" the woman asked Warren as she walked up.

Warren stopped unloading the car and looked at the ranger, offering his hand. "Yes, I am. You must be Ranger Susan Muldoon. We spoke on the phone."

"That's right," the woman smiled, shaking his hand firmly. She looked at Matt, Terry and Coba. "These must be your children."

"Yes. My sons, Matt and Terry, and my daughter Coba," he replied, gesturing to each in turn with a hand.

"Hey," Terry said in greeting.

Matt almost said "hi," but remembered he was in time-out. He waved to Susan. Coba shyly lifted a hand in welcome.

"Hello," Susan replied. She looked back at Warren, lowering her voice. "I'm just stopping by to ask that you report any suspicious activity you may see, since I already told you the rules here. I take it you told the kids?"

"Yes, I have. I'll even tell them again. What do you mean by 'suspicious activity?'"

"Some recent campers have complained of strange sounds, as well as some campers going missing," she said solemnly. "We—the other rangers and I—haven't been able to find the source yet, and there hasn't been a missing persons report in weeks, but that doesn't mean the trouble is gone for good."

A look of worry shadowed Warren's face. "You're sure us staying here is alright?"

"As long as you all stay close together and stick close to the trails, you'll be fine," Susan assured him, "though I don't like the idea of letting people keep coming before the problem's resolved." She handed him four devices. "Give your children each one of these digital trackers and keep one for yourself. We're giving some to all guests now to make extra certain that nothing happens to them. If they get lost, we can track them down and get them back to their groups."

"Good idea," Warren nodded.

"I better be on my way; more campers to check on," she said, raising her voice back to a normal volume. She started for her SUV, but called over her shoulder, "Stay safe, and enjoy your stay!"

"We will!" Warren promised.

The four campers watched the ranger leave. Coba was first to notice the devices in Warren's hands. "Why do they want us to use tracers?" she asked.

"How did you know they're tracers?" Warren inquired.

"Looked them up online before we left. I know the rangers are asking all guests to carry one, but it didn't say why. It was probably left out to keep the people coming," Brooklyn speculated, "though that's not exactly wise. Apparently they haven't seen _Jaws_."

"Yeah, not closing the beach right away when there was a shark killing people was pretty stupid," Terry agreed.

"You're saying they don't want us to know that there's a shark in the river?" Matt said excitedly, momentarily forgetting about his punishment as he noticed the small-yet-turbulent river beside their campsite.

"No one is saying that," Warren asserted. "Sharks don't swim in rivers."

Coba piped up, "Actually, some do, but usually it's for brief periods of time. Back in 1916, there were sharks—or one shark—that swam up the Matawan Creek in New Jersey, fifteen miles away from the ocean. They—or it—killed two people and injured one boy." Noticing Matt's nervous reaction and Warren's stern gaze, she quickly added, "But it's unlikely that there would be any this far away from the ocean." _Unless it's a bull shark,_ she thought. "Besides, this river is too shallow and narrow for sharks to swim in," _unless it's a bull shark,_ "but large enough for people to swim in—assuming the current isn't too strong."

"Geek," Terry muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Nothing's wrong with brushing up on history, Terry," Warren admonished. _Where the slag did_ that _come from?_ he wondered. _I've never been a history buff either!_ "The tracers are for the rangers to keep track of us in case someone gets hurt or goes missing."

The oldest of the kids frowned. "So basically we don't get any privacy."

"They can't tell what we're doing," Coba reassured him. "There's no camera."

"No, but they can tell when we're using the bathrooms because it'll show that we're there."

"Huh. Good point."

"I have a few once in a while."

"If it makes you feel better, I can hold your tracers as you use the facilities," Warren told them.

"I guess," Terry relented.

Coba shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

Matt simply nodded.

After the group finished unpacking, Warren gave each of the children a tracer, keeping one for himself. Coba helped him prepare lunch, all the while wondering, _Was this trip a good idea?_

* * *

 **In addition to the shark attacks mentioned above, there were two more attacks along the coast of New Jersey prior to July 12, 1916, the first taking place July 1 that year. This event is commonly referred to as "The Shark Attacks of 1916."**

 _ **How did you learn about that, WNR?**_

 **I was putting books away in the little library in my old elementary school when I came across Lauren Tarshis' _I Survived_ historical fiction series. My eye immediately caught on _I Survived The Shark Attacks of 1916_. Curious, I sat down and spent 45 minutes reading the whole book, including the facts section Tarshis includes at the end of the stories. After that, I looked deeper into the matter, and it turns out that no one is certain of which kind of shark (or sharks) was attacking people: the two main shark species scientists have narrowed it down to are the bull shark (which can surprisingly survive in fresh water and has been found hundreds of miles up the Mississippi river) and the Great White shark (though I'm guessing it was a young one if one had been attacking people, since a shark caught a couple of days after the last attacks that had human remains in its stomach was only 7' 6" long).**

 **The park ranger, Susan Muldoon, is an OC named in homage to characters created by late author Patrick F. McManus; Susan Parker and "Crazy Eddie" Muldoon. Rest in peace, Mr. McManus.**


	2. Chapter 2

After a quick lunch of hot dogs and chips, Warren led the children along a hiking trail. He smiled at the memory of when he had walked the trail with his parents as a boy. His smile faded, however, when he noticed only Terry was keeping pace with him, though Terry was a bit winded from keeping up with his father. Matt and Coba were further behind, with the little boy already exhausted and the girl short of breath. Coba had just caught up with Warren when she lost her footing and slid backward. Warren quickly reached out, catching her by her outstretched arms while keeping himself from sliding. He pulled her towards him and lifted her until her feet could touch the ground, then let go when he knew she could stand on her own again.

"Thanks!" Coba gasped.

"Of course." He frowned, noticing her knees got scraped. No blood came out, but her skin looked a bit red around the peeled skin. "Do you want to go back?"

His daughter shook her head. "I'll be alright. Walking will be a little stiff for a few minutes, but I'll get over it."

"Funny how you can get over pain, but you can't get over your feelings," Terry snorted.

"That's enough, Terry!" Warren scolded, noticing Coba's pained expression at the teen's remark.

Terry huffed and continued walking, not looking at what was right in front of him.

"Watch where you're going!" Warren warned his wayward son.

"Why don't _you_ watch—AAAHHHHHH!" The teen's feet were briefly seen over the slope, then disappeared as multiple grunts and thumps were heard.

"Terry?!" Coba cried out in concern over Matt's burst of laughter, rushing to peer over the slope.

A scream of pain answered her as angry buzzing filled the air. Terry was rushing up the hill to them, dancing in pain as multiple hornets stung his thigh and chased him. Matt threw himself to the ground, saving him from getting stung, though he was still giggling helplessly at his half-brother's misfortune. Warren swatted at some wasps, but got stung and bitten on the hand by the angry insects. Coba took a spray can out of her hiking bag. "Close your eyes and hold your breath!" she instructed her father, half-brother and Matt.

All three of them did as they were told, Coba holding her own breath as she sprayed at the hornets. One by one the insects slowed until they fell, knocked unconscious by the spray can's contents. The girl wiped the can with a cloth, then pulled out medicine for bee stings. "Who all got stung—ugh!" She grimaced and coughed, disgusted by the air. "It's supposed to be scentless spray! Slagging dregs lied!"

"Language, Coba!" Warren scolded, though he and Terry were shaking with laughter.

"Sorry, Dad."

Warren and Terry let her tend to their injuries, marveling at how she did so without getting squeamish. "How were you able to keep cool instead of panicking with the hornets?" Terry asked curiously. "Usually you get overwhelmed in stressful situations, from what I've seen."

Coba shrugged. "I just knew what had to be done, I suppose."

"Schway." _Maybe Coba's not so bad, after all,_ Terry thought.

"Can we keep going?" Matt asked as he stood up and dusted himself off.

McGinnis looked at Terry. "You got stung the most. Feel up to hiking more?"

"Depends. How much longer will we have to go uphill?"

"A few minutes, then it's all downhill. The trail loops around and back into the campsite."

"Then I'll be alright," the teen said with a nod.

"Good." Warren looked at Coba. "It'll get steep in some spots. Be careful where you put your feet."

 _As if I never am!_ Coba thought. "Okay, Dad."

All three kids were relieved to find out their dad had been right about how little they had left to go uphill. Once at the top of the trail, the hikers were awed by the spectacular view of the campgrounds and the riverside. Terry, Matt and Coba caught their breaths, then followed Warren down the trail. Matt ran down the hill with Terry hot on his heels, both laughing as they raced one another. Coba wanted to join in, but chose to remain with Warren on the side of caution.

"Don't go too far!" Warren called after the boys.

"Got it!" Terry called back.

Coba watched Terry and Matt. "Terry's leg is still sore," she noted in a quiet voice. "He's limping as he runs, and he's not as fast as he usually is."

Her father nodded. "I noticed. I'll properly look him over when we get back to camp. Why aren't you running with them?"

"I have a hard enough time walking on uneven ground," she replied. "No sense taking risks if there's no need."

Warren blinked in surprise at her words. "Good point. How did you get so smart?"

"Mom home-schooled me, mostly. Plus I like learning new things, especially when it's not in a stressful environment."

"You know public high school's going to be stressful though, right?"

"I'm aware," Coba said grimly. "But I also know you don't have the time to have me home-schooled. I'll figure out how to get through it, don't worry."

McGinnis grinned, warmed by her spirit. "I won't."

Matt came running back, Terry hard on his heels. "Dad! There's a man in the woods!" Matt exclaimed.

"We found him," Terry clarified, panting, "but he was screaming like crazy! Something about monsters in the woods."

"Maybe they're werewolves?" Matt suggested.

"Werewolves only come out at night," Coba pointed out.

"Not in _Twilight_!"

Terry groaned. "Will you _stop_ talking about that franchise? It's stupid!"

"Just the story is!" Coba said. "I only like the action parts."

"Yeah, the action parts are the best parts in the movies!" Matt agreed.

Warren checked his cell for a signal bar. Seeing one, he called Susan and quickly told her what the boys had discovered.

"Sit tight, I'll be there in a minute," Susan replied. "Make sure the kids stay with you; there's no telling if this man is dangerous."

"My thoughts exactly. See you in a bit." Warren hung up the phone. Matt started walking away, but Warren grabbed him by the shoulders. "Stay with me, all of you. Ranger Muldoon's on her way."

Coba and Matt nodded as Terry stared back up the way they came. "Yeah, she is. Dang, she's fast!"

Looking to see what his eldest child was talking about, Warren saw the brown-haired woman sprinting fast towards them. His breath caught in his throat when he saw a large, gray-brown canine enter the trail and chase her. "It's a wolf! Schway!" Matt said, oblivious to the possibility that Susan was in danger.

"Ranger! Behind you!" Coba called out.

Susan glanced over her shoulder and noticed the wolf. "Oh! Hi, Balto! Getting your exercise for the day?"

The wolf's only response was labored panting, though Susan could have sworn that he was smiling. Once he and Muldoon got to the four campers, he greeted Coba and Matt with curious sniffs, getting them to pet him while the ranger caught her breath. Terry was impressed. "A wolf that acts like a dog? Schway."

Susan smiled. "Yes. My boss rescued Balto here as a pup and had her Great Dane mix raise him with her pups. He knows how to be nice to humans and their animals, as well as how to keep other wolves from attacking us without hurting them."

"So he's basically the peacekeeper," Coba noted.

"That's right."

"And he's sired a few litters over the past couple of years. A couple with the Great Dane mixes, a couple with the wolves."

They all looked at Coba in surprise. "How did you know that?" Susan asked.

"He acts like some dogs I've known over the years who had several litters. Also, he told me."

"Oh, right, like you can speak and understand dog," Terry said skeptically.

The girl showed her peers a device she had in her pocket. "This communicator I made allows me to do both," she said.

"Cool!" Matt exclaimed.

Susan blinked in surprise as she looked at the girl. "Did you make that?"

Brooklyn nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Impressive. I should get our tech guy to show you around his lab. Perhaps he'll learn something."

Coba blushed, embarrassed by the praise.

"I'd better look for the man you boys heard," Susan said grimly. "Which way is he?"

Just as Matt pointed down the trail, a man burst out of the woods. His frantic expression shifted to one of relief. "Ranger Muldoon!" he cried, hugging the familiar person. "Oh, thank God!"

Muldoon's eyes widened. "Mike Grey! Where have you been? We've looked everywhere for you!"

"Not everywhere, if you didn't find him," Terry muttered.

Warren smacked Terry upside the head. "Terry! Manners!" he scolded.

"Where's my family?" Grey asked concernedly, ignoring the teen's comment. His eyes were filling with tears of relief. "Are they alright?"

"They're fine," Susan assured him. "They went home a week ago, but have called every few hours to see if you've turned up." _Nice that he has a family that cares about him, even if they can be annoying,_ she thought. "They'll be thrilled when they learn you're alive."

Mike chuckled to himself. Terry and Coba both looked down and frowned a little, wondering what it would be like to have a family that cared about everyone in it.

"Let's get you to the lodge," Susan told Mike. She looked to Warren. "You may want to head back to your campsite. Whatever—or whomever—did this to Mr. Grey may be close by."

Warren nodded. "That's what I was thinking."

"Shouldn't we find out who or what they are and make them pay?" Terry asked.

"Without knowing what we're up against?" Coba asked incredulously.

"Don't be chicken," he snorted. "Something needs to be done so they don't hurt anyone else!"

"I'm not saying I disagree with that," the girl clarified. "I'm just saying we shouldn't blindly go into danger."

"Your sister's right," Susan started.

Terry glared at her. "She's _not_ my sister."

Coba flinched, hurt by his comment.

Muldoon nodded to the angered Warren, then led Mike away after instructing Balto to stay with the family and protect them. Warren gave his oldest child a hard look. "Apologize. Now."

"Why should I?" Terry challenged. "I hardly even know her, yet you expect me to say 'Oh, welcome to the family, sis,' just like that?"

"Yes! Like it or not, she stays."

"So she can keep driving you and Mom apart?"

Warren was shocked. "What makes you think it's Coba's fault your mom and I divorced?"

"Because the final straw was drawn the day we met for the first time," Coba said to Warren, trying to keep from breaking into sobs. _Seriously? I'm about to cry for the_ fourth time _today?_ She looked at Terry, her cobalt blue eyes betraying her heartache and stunning him into silence. "I'm sorry, Terry. I didn't mean to cause all this trouble."

"Don't be," Warren told her. Noticing Matt was also distressed, he added, "Why don't you and Balto take Matt back to camp?"

Coba nodded, then made a strange sound to Balto. The wolf nodded in understanding, then followed her and Matt back to their campsite. "What did you tell him?" Matt asked, forgetting the argument his dad and brother were still having.

"I asked him if he'd accompany us back to camp," Brooklyn replied.

"I didn't know you could speak wolf!"

"Domestic dog, actually, and only a little bit. I picked up some words while listening through my communicator."

"Still cool! Maybe Terry and Mom would like you if they knew what you can do."

The girl was uncertain. "I don't know that they'll ever like me. I'll just have to learn to live with it."

Matt was confused, but shrugged. "Wanna race back?"

"I don't know how safe—hey!" she called as Matt raced ahead.

"Last one back is a rotten egg!" the boy teased.

Coba frowned, as she disliked races, but ran after him. Balto had no trouble keeping pace, placing his large paws confidently on certain parts of the path. Coba tried to stick to the parts of the path that Balto ran on, and quickly caught on to how the ground was laid out. Her eyes widened upon seeing Matt not paying attention to the path. "Matt, watch out!"

Before the words had a chance to sink in, Matt's right foot landed on a patch of loose ground at the edge of the cliff. The boy gave a cry of alarm as he lost balance and tottered over the edge.

~!~

Once Coba, Matt and Balto were out of earshot, Warren turned to Terry. He sighed after a moment. "Terry... you know your mother and I have been having trouble before we met Coba."

The teen gave his father a troubled look. "I know. But wasn't she the final piece? Or... or was it me getting in trouble?" He looked down shamefully.

Warren stared at Terry in shock. "No! It wasn't because of either of you. Your mother and I just... didn't work hard enough at our relationship. I still love her, you and your brother. She and I just can't be together anymore. We hurt each other too much."

Terry looked at Warren quizzically. "I know you hurt mom when you got with Coba's mom. How did Mom hurt you?"

McGinnis paused. Though Mary had somewhat demonized him for her kids, he did not want to do the same to her. _And Terry won't like the truth about Matt._ Before he could answer, he heard Coba shout.

"Matt, watch out!"

Turning his head abruptly to the sound of the shout, Terry dashed in the direction it came from. "Come on!" he urged Warren, even though Warren was right on his heels.

~!~

Coba and Balto rushed forward, but the girl was the first to grab him. She fell forward from the boy's weight, but caught the new edge of the cliff with her free hand. Coba looked at the boy. "I'm going to swing you to the edge. Grab it when you can!" She then spoke to Balto in dog, " _Help him up when he does!_ "

The wolf nodded in understanding. " _Can do!_ "

Brooklyn swung her arm and body mightily, getting Matt within reach of the cliff's edge the third time she did so. Matt grabbed the cliff with his free hand, then let go of Coba's hand before grabbing the ridge. Balto gripped Matt's shirt in his teeth and helped the boy get back onto safe ground. Coba felt a wave of relief when she heard Terry and Warren's footsteps close in. She started to raise her hand to haul herself up, but she shrieked as her grip slipped on the loosened ground, sending her plummeting into the river below.

"Coba!" Matt screamed.

Warren stared over the edge in despair. "Oh my God," he gasped. _My only daughter just saved my ex's son. Now she's drowning..._ He saw a small form burst from below the water, and immediately recognized it as a head with long black hair. "Coba! Hold on, I'm—" Before he could dive in to save his daughter, a slim teenager rushed past him and tensed his legs to jump. "Terry, no!" he yelled, reaching out to grab him.

But he was too late. Terry had already leaped into the river to pursue his half-sister.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I apologize for the delay of this chapter's posting. I wanted to get further into writing the third chapter before posting this one.**

 **And yes: in my head-canon, Balto (well, the Balto in this story, not the real-life Balto or the Balto in the Universal movie trilogy) is an ancestor of Ace, and thus Ace is part wolf. Of course, Ace is probably a great-grandpup instead of a pup or grand-pup of him, since Ace doesn't look so wolf-like.**

 **Please leave a review and have a great rest of your day! :)**


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